September 27, 2009

Good For VFW ~ Justice Against Flag Burner

Members of a local VFW hand down their own punishment after a man burns an American flag on their property.

We're told the man burned the flag after a bartender at VFW Post 1938 in Valley Falls wouldn't serve him alcohol.

"Alcohol does strange things to people," said post commander Nick Normile, "but disgrace to the American flag, we can't tolerate that."

It's a lesson in patriotism that the disgraced local man--whose identity we're protecting--may have learned the hard way at the VFW hall.

Members tell NEWS10 the flag burning happened last Friday night when the man came in and was refused a drink because did not have the proper identification. That's when they say he walked over the flag pole and did something they consider unpatriotic in the extreme.

Normile explained, "He got mad, came outside, lowered the flag and set it on fire."

Normile says the flag that was burned belonged once flew over a fox hole in Iraq. A fox hole that several U.S. soldiers never made it out of alive.

Normile, a Vietnam veteran himself, was so incensed over the flag burning that he hunted the man down.

"I found him on Sunday and I duct taped him to the flag pole," Normile said bluntly. "He didn't deny it, said he was drunk. Let's just say he volunteered to sit out here duct taped to the pole."

For six hours the man sat under the pole, wearing a sign describing his actions. Passersby snapped pictures.

"I told him to sit there like those kids that were in that foxhole and see what they felt like because you are only getting a small taste of what they went through," Normile told NEWS10.

He adds the man learned his lesson, and with that lesson learned, Normile now wants to protect the man from any violent retaliation.

Normile asked NEWS10 not to reveal the man's name to also protect the young man's family.

The bits of the flag that survived will be retired during an official ceremony.

Wild Thing's comment.......

This kind of thing happening REALLY ticks me off. I am so glad they punished this jerk and maybe he will learn, I hope so. Drunk or sober there is NO excuse or reason for anyone to do such a thing to our Flag.

Back in 2005 our Flag in our front yard was burned and others in our little community. It took me a long time to walk outside and not check our Flag to see if it happened again because it really shook me that such a thing would happen.

He is lucky that they showed some restraint, I am not sure I could have been so easy on him!!!

I think that those who choose to burn OUR flag should wrap themselves in it first!!!

Posted by: Richard at September 27, 2009 09:53 AM

Nick Normile and VFW Post 1938, The words of this song by Toby Hughes, Saul Broudy, Chuck Rosenberg and Robin Thomas, all Vietnam veterans, captures the essence of why we serve the United State under it's flag of sovereignty. It represents the sacrifice and honor of Americans who have fought for freedom and liberty, this fool is lucky to survive desecrating a battle flag, I wouldn't have been so lenient.